We Refuse to Suffer!

Li Banfeng and Ma the Fifth began running Lanyang Village, and their first step was to change a few of the village's rules. The first was the rule regarding business fees. In Lanyang Village, no matter what kind of business you ran, you had to hand over half of your profits to the Song family. That had been far too harsh an exploitation. Of course, doing business in Lanyang Village without paying a single copper was also unreasonable. After all, Li Banfeng and Ma the Fifth had to ensure the peace and safety of the area. Following some deliberation, the two established a new split: each household needed to pay only twenty percent of their profits. Apart from the general businesses, there was also the matter of hunting. If hunters coming from the newland sold their goods to Ma the Fifth, the price was open to fair discussion, guaranteed to be equal to or higher than what the Song family had once set. Yet what if they chose not to sell through Ma the Fifth? Would he intervene? This was the issue giving Ma the Fifth a headache. He did not want to sink his energy into such trivialities. Song Jiasen had previously poured eighty percent of his attention into keeping daily watch over the villagers of Lanyang Village. How much could someone like that ever amount to? Still, ignoring it entirely would mean forfeiting a massive slice of revenue. Weighing their options back and forth, the two devised a sound strategy. First, those willing to sell through them would never get the short end of the stick. Many catches would fetch more than double the old price, and scarce, high-demand goods could be negotiated according to market rates. Second, they would not stop those who preferred not to sell through them. However, if anyone entered Lanyang Village to purchase goods and poach their trade, they would never tolerate it—they would deal with every single offender they caught. Third, if someone wished to sell through them but found their offer unsatisfactory, they could help consign the goods on the hunter's behalf. Profits and losses would be at the owner's own risk, and they would take merely a twenty percent commission on the profits without bothering with anything else. Once the notice was posted, the village youths grew enthusiastic. A continuous stream of people traveled to and from the newland every day, and over ninety percent brought their goods to Ma the Fifth. The logic was simple: not everyone had access to distribution channels. If three to five young men banded together and fished up a sack of earthen jade peaches, could they realistically deliver them all the way to Lüshui City? They might make a few extra coins in Lüshui City, but given how 'wholesome' the folk customs of Lüshuiwan were, what if they were robbed along the way? Did food, drink, and travel expenses not cost money? If wind and rain delayed their journey and the peaches rotted, who would they complain to? These were unavoidable problems. Yet as more and more people brought goods to sell, Li Banfeng and Ma the Fifth felt the strain. Their capital was modest, and having sunk all their funds into the venture, their cash flow temporarily jammed. Xiao Chuan offered a suggestion: "How about putting up a sign tomorrow saying we'll only take consignments for a while and stop buying outright?" Ma the Fifth shook his head. "That won't do. That's the biggest taboo in business. Either you don't do business at all, or you stick to your rules without reckless changes." Li Banfeng rubbed his chin. "Looks like we need to find some quick cash." Where would they get quick cash, though? Li Banfeng was a rule-abiding, decent person; he could not simply go out and rob people. Just as they were fretting over a solution, Xiao Chuan came in with a report: "Fifth Master, someone from the Liu family is here." Ma the Fifth was startled. "Who came?" "Hu Juncai, the accountant." Ma the Fifth furrowed his brows. "He's a tough one to deal with." Li Banfeng asked, "What did he come for?" Ma the Fifth sighed. "Showing up on this date, he's most likely here to collect debts." Xiao Chuan asked gingerly, "If he demands money, do we give it to him?" Li Banfeng raised a brow. "Of course not. We don't have money, so what is there to give?" Xiao Chuan asked again, "Then what about after we make money in the future...?" "Even if we make money, we're not giving him any! It's not like he earned it, so why should we?" Li Banfeng's attitude was resolute. Xiao Chuan glanced toward Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth sighed softly. "Invite him in first. We'll speak over at the new house." The 'new house' referred to Landlord Wei's residence. Just yesterday, Landlord Wei had signed an agreement with Li Banfeng, handing over all his properties to him free of charge. The title deeds and land deeds were now in Li Banfeng's hands. Landlord Wei had signed the contract in person and entirely of his own free will, as Ma the Fifth could testify. Li Banfeng and Ma the Fifth still lived in their original wooden cabin, while the three-story brick building Landlord Wei had occupied became their space for receiving guests and conducting business. Hu Juncai sat down in the parlor and said with a smile, "Fifth Young Master, when I arrived today, I headed straight for the Song family's manor, only to find it reduced to an empty lot. I thought I had come to the wrong place." Ma the Fifth smiled back. "The old house was too worn-down, rattling every time the wind blew. I plan to build a new one." Hu Juncai nodded. "Building a new one is only right. A new business deserves a fresh facade. Fifth Young Master understands management; in your hands, Lanyang Village is bound to flourish. "I came today for two matters: first, to offer my congratulations, and second, to look over the account books." The moment he mentioned the account books, Ma the Fifth knew what Hu Juncai meant. The fellow truly had come for money. He had no desire to show the ledgers to an outsider, but he had no choice. The Liu family possessed power far beyond what the Song family had wielded. He brought over the ledgers. Hu Juncai glanced at them and immediately frowned. "Oh my, Fifth Young Master, you've taken over for three days, yet far from turning a profit, you've suffered considerable losses." Ma the Fifth chuckled. "I'm embarrassed to admit it. My business has just opened its doors, so I'm running at a loss to build a reputation first." Hu Juncai shook his head. "Your purchasing prices are too high. It won't be easy to keep the operation running in the future." Ma the Fifth smiled without speaking. Xiao Chuan, standing off to the side, shot Hu Juncai a glance. *Old bastard, just how much do you actually know? You dare lecture our Fifth Young Master on making money?* Hu Juncai closed the ledger and said, "I trust Fifth Young Master, but we must make the rules clear. Back when the Song family conducted business in Lanyang Village, eighty percent of the proceeds had to be handed over to our manager. We didn't keep all of it either—we had to pass it along to the Si family. There are written agreements for this; I am not making it up on a whim. "The contract clearly states that regardless of profit or loss, the monthly payout cannot be less than three thousand silver dollars. If you don't believe me, I can let you see the document." Hu Juncai handed the contract to Ma the Fifth. Ma the Fifth read through it carefully; Hu Juncai had not lied. Ma the Fifth had prepared himself mentally for this. A major reason the Song family had squeezed the villagers so brutally was that the Liu family struck with equal cruelty. The Liu family was cruel because the Si family demanded so much, and after the Si family collected their share, they still had to pay tribute to the Lu family. Ring upon ring, each faction was more ruthless than the last. After a long silence, Ma the Fifth said, "Elder Hu, I truly cannot produce that much money right now. Could you grant me a few days' grace?" "Fifth Young Master, you're making things difficult for me. Collecting debts on the appointed day is a rule that hasn't changed for over twenty years. How about this: I'll inspect your warehouse, pick a few goods, appraise their value, and take them back with me." Let him pick the goods? He would empty the warehouse down to the floorboards. The value he would assign them would never be acceptable to Ma the Fifth. Seeing Ma the Fifth remain silent, Hu Juncai sighed. "Fifth Young Master, if there's no money and no goods, I won't be able to account for myself back home." Ma the Fifth looked up. "Elder Hu, please inform Manager Liu that I'm indeed tight on funds right now. Once we turn a profit in the coming days, I'll deliver it to the old manager myself." Hu Juncai's brow furrowed tighter and tighter. After a protracted silence, he stood up. "Fifth Young Master, if the rules are broken, business becomes very difficult to conduct. I'll offer you this single piece of advice, but the choice is yours." After Hu Juncai left, Ma the Fifth returned to their quarters to discuss the matter with Li Banfeng. "Brother Li, how much do you think we should pay him? Three thousand silver dollars feels steep. I'll negotiate with him another day and offer two thousand." Li Banfeng put down the newspaper in his hands and looked at Ma the Fifth. "Didn't I already say? We're not giving him a single copper." Ma the Fifth replied helplessly, "We have to give something, or they'll plot against us in the shadows." "How would they plot? Could they launch an attack on Lanyang Village?" "Not to that extent," Ma the Fifth said, shaking his head. "Given the Liu family's temperament, they won't clash with us out in the open. But their underhanded methods are exceptionally vicious. Liu Liangyi was originally a mountain bandit. If I'm not mistaken, he'll blockade our trade route." Li Banfeng was taken aback. "I truly overlooked that." With a grave expression, Ma the Fifth said, "We cannot afford to overlook it. The day after tomorrow, a shipment of goods is supposed to go to Lüshui City. If the cargo gets intercepted, we won't recoup our funds, and our business will go under." *** Hu Juncai returned to the Paper Horse Shop and relayed everything to the old manager, Liu Liangyi. Liu Liangyi smiled faintly. "He truly acts like the young master of a grand house, refusing to cough up a single copper." Hu Juncai said, "I looked at his ledgers. He genuinely hasn't made any money. The prices he pays for goods are far too high." Liu Liangyi shook his head. "Old Hu, that's where you fail to understand. Across Puluo Province, Ma the Fifth's knack for making money ranks among the very best. Paying higher prices draws in more hunters. The first few months might be rough, but once his investments pay off, he'll earn far more than Song Jiasen ever did." "Then should we grant him a few months' delay?" "We cannot delay. Rules are rules. Once a rule is broken, reestablishing it becomes nearly impossible. Whether he borrows money or uses goods as collateral, not a single cent of the required amount may be missing." Hu Juncai nodded. "I'll make another trip to Lanyang Village tomorrow and talk sense into him." "What is there left to talk about? Reason in this world is never settled with words." Liu Liangyi summoned Liu Changyu. "Didn't you want to test Ma the Fifth a couple of days ago? I'll let you go this time, but not to Lanyang Village. I want you to go to Jueding Mountain and lay an ambush along the mountain path. "That mountain path is the only route from Lanyang Village to Lüshui City. Once you're there, intercept any cart or carriage you see. Seize everything produced by Lanyang Village. Take only the goods; do not harm anyone. "Ma the Fifth is a clever man, so he might not rush to move goods over the next couple of days. You'll need to wait for a few days. Can you endure the biting cold?" Liu Changyu thumped his chest. "Father, rest assured. I can bear the hardship. I guarantee the job will be done." Liu Liangyi nodded. "Remember above all: take only the goods, do not harm anyone." "Understood, Father. Do we need to announce our name, lest Ma the Fifth doesn't know who to beg for mercy?" Liu Liangyi smiled. "No need to declare our name. Jueding Mountain is our family's territory. If he's robbed there, he will know in his heart." Liu Changyu led his men to Jueding Mountain and set up an ambush by the roadside. The boy was indeed capable of enduring hardship. In the November weather, the icy wind lashed against their faces, feeling sharp enough to peel away a layer of skin. Liu Changyu rotated shifts with his men while posting ghost servants to keep watch in all directions, never slacking for a moment. When a convoy of carriages passed along the road, Liu Changyu immediately sent men to halt them. Upon inspection, they found the carriages were delivering clay pots to the city. Many artisans lived in the surrounding villages, and clay pots naturally did not originate from the newland. Liu Changyu let them pass, then resumed his crouched vigil by the mountain pass. Li Banfeng walked down the mountain path alone. Hearing faint sounds from the roadside, he listened through the Thread-Hook Earring and confirmed that an ambush was indeed lying in wait. A glance with Golden Eyes Discerning the Minutest Detail revealed numerous deceased souls lingering in the vicinity. Ma the Fifth's deduction had been spot on: the Liu family truly had cut off their trade route. Li Banfeng checked the weather. Snow had begun to fall today, melting the moment it touched the ground. Crouching in the barren wilderness in such weather had to be absolute misery. Not easy at all! One look was enough to tell that these people knew how to suffer! Li Banfeng was merely a lone traveler with neither cart nor carriage, and he naturally attracted very little notice, so Liu Changyu made no move to stop him. Upon arriving in Lüshui City, Li Banfeng rented a room, unloaded the goods from the Portable Abode, and went to Yufangzhai to find Shopkeeper Zhu, asking him to send workers to collect the shipment. Shopkeeper Zhu accepted the cargo and paid him on the spot according to the ledger. Li Banfeng stored the cash in the Portable Abode, went to the Miaosheng Gramophone Shop to buy some fuel and machine oil, and picked out a few records. Leaving the gramophone shop, Li Banfeng found an old restaurant, ordered a hot pot meal, had a jar of Shaoxing wine warmed, and summoned two songstresses to sing during the meal to liven things up. Having eaten and drunk his fill, Li Banfeng wiped off the rouge and scented powder from his clothes and returned to the Portable Abode. "Oh my~ In the dead of winter, my husband must be freezing. Come quickly to your humble servant." The wife specially puffed out a billow of warm steam, embracing Li Banfeng as they slept soundly through the night. At daybreak the next morning, Li Banfeng set out on his return trip. Passing Jueding Mountain, he noticed people still standing guard by the roadside. Liu Changyu truly was a boy who could endure hardship; his father had ordered him to watch this post, and aside from sleeping, he had not budged an inch. Good on him! Only by enduring bitterness beyond bitterness could one endure yet more bitterness upon bitterness. These people possessed true perseverance—they would certainly have an endless supply of bitter suffering in their future! Li Banfeng offered a couple of silent praises in his heart, then headed back to Lanyang Village.